Bryce Courtenay The Power Of One

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The historical fiction novel, The Power of One, by Bryce Courtenay, is set in South Africa during World War II and centers around the concept of adaptation. The narrator, Peekay, learns at a young age that in order to survive abusive surroundings, one must camouflage. Survival is an impulse that drives our decision-making.
Due to constant emotional and physical abuse from his peers, Peekay begins to hide behind a facade, “I knew then that the person on the outside was only a shell, a presence to be seen and provoked. Inside was the real me” (Courtenay 46). Starting at the age of five, Peekay realized he had to fend for himself. With no adult to shield him from the maltreatment he was receiving, he was required to adapt and protect himself.

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